Have Cheetah,Will View #309 – “Leap” (2016)

One of the fun things I like in doing film reviews is that I can pretty much write about anything I watch when I decide to,I have no set plan. I can write from past films that I have watched before doing these reviews,I can write from my To Watch pile or in the case of “Leap”,I can write on impulse without knowing a thing about I am about view.
This is why my review of “Doom Room” is being pushed back one slot….because “Leap” is pretty damn good.
This being a 15 minute short film,I can’t share too many details other then say director Marlo Brenier has brought to life a very worthy tale of both raising awareness of the scars of abuse,both sexual and psychical and that the grass isn’t always greener over the hill.

Writer and leading actress Jamie Miller plays Jane,a young 20-something woman who has deep mistrust issues because of the abuse of her father. Because of this,she is constantly moving around and is scared to have a relationship even when Tim (Andrew Fromer),the man she is with wants something deeper then a casual fling. She gently pushes him away and he is left wondering what has happened.
Jane decides to take control of her own fate and heads to the desert to do just that…..but it seems Fate has other ideas for Jane….

“Leap” is a beautifully piece of work,mixing both the stunning location shooting in the desert and the horror that awaits in Jane’s memories. These scenes instantly set my teeth on edge,its a terribly uncomfortable look at what has damaged Jane so badly. Miller does a terrific job in allowing us to see those scars in her eyes,the fear and the longing as well.

I have to also commend James L. Brewster who plays Jane’s father. It must be incredibly hard to have to play an abuser and to get into that mindset,playing a thug or a bad ass macho man who gets killed is one thing but playing a role like this takes great courage and Brewster does a fine job is helping define what true horror really is.
My only issue comes when Jane is explaining her situation and puts her addictions upon her father,”He made me do this” in regarding her drug use. I thought that line wasn’t thought out well enough,I think has Jane had shown through her actions that while right or wrong,she was the choosing her steps. She may have been influenced to a degree but no one has forced her to drink or use drugs,that is on her and I think Miller uses Jane’s scars as a cop-out for some of her actions.

Just because you are or have been a victim,doesn’t mean you stay there…unless you want to.
This is a powerful film and one I think really needs to be seen a LOT more.
“Leap” has won some nice awards and I can say that Bernier and Miller along with their cast and crew certainly deserved them.

For such a thoughtful-sounding film, it’s a little odd that they took that direction, isn’t it, blaming the father? It sounds like a brave little story; too bad they didn’t stay there completely. Sounds intriguing, though.